Multicompartment cabinet.



'Q WQ M W G. ROBBINS.

MULTIGOMPARTMENT CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1912,

1,056,835. Pat nted Mar,25,1913.

3 SHEETSSKEET 1.

1 1117.23 "-10 i N g 133 hisAiiarneys G. ROBBINS.

MULTIGOIPABTIEHT CABINET. urmouloi'nnnn .uLzs, 1912.

056,835. Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H nu f 5 52 g 5 b 17 5 X5 4, y Aitom s G. ROBBINS MULTIGOMPARTMENT CABINET. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1912.

Patented M51225, 1913.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 3. 6

II/III/IA Ingeniotf 9 By hisA %0% W Witnesses s ares.

GEORGE ROBBINS, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA,

MUL'I'ICOMPARTMEN'I CABINET.

osesas.

Application filed January 25, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ROBBINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multicompartment Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an extremely simple and veflicient multicompartment cabinet, and to such ends, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims. a

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a multi-compartment cabinet embodying my invention, and, especially designed to contain phonographic records of the disk type contained in heavy filing envelope; Fig. 2 is vertical section taken on the line a2 w on Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail in vertical section taken on the same line as Fig. 2, but showing the parts on an enlarged scale; Fig. 41- is a viewv corresponding in the line' of its section to Fig. 2, but illustrating different positions of the parts; Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary views in section on an enlarged scale,the line of section thereof being takenon the same .line as Figs.2 and 4; Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken from front to rear through a modified form of the multicompa'rtment cabinet; Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the same line as Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line m-a2 on Fig. 8, some parts beingbroken away.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the numeral 1 indicates the main case of the cabinet, the same, as shown, having a pair of hinged I front doors 2. Below its top, the main case 1 is shown as provided with a horizontal subtop 3 and the space below this subtop is divided into a multiplicity of compartments by vertical partitions t. In each compartment, there is a so-called' compartment ga to closure which may take various different terms according to the nature of the article Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

Serial No. 673,440.

to be held in the compartment. Sometimes the compartment gate will be arranged to completely close the open portion of the compartment, but in other instances, it will be necessary only to have the said gate arranged to partly close the compartment.

-For instance, to prevent the removal of phonographic records of the disk type, short compartment gates 5, such as employed in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, will answer the purpose. Y In this preferred arrangement, these compartment gates 5 are hinged orpivoted at their upper ends on a transverse rod 6 extended just.

above the front edge of the subtop 3 and having its ends rigidly secured to the sides of the case 1. The compartment gates 5 are formed with cam lugs 7 ands, and between these cam lugs with a releasing notch 9.

Pivoted on a rod 10 secured at its ends to the sides of the case 1, is a long gravityheld lock bar 11 having at its front edge a depending lock flange l2 and having at its rear or inner edge a depending cam flange '13. The rear edge of the pivoted lockbar 11 is, as shown, yicldingly pressed downward by a weighted arm 14, but th s as is obvious,

- might also be accomplished by-a spring. The

normal position of the parts just described is indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 wherein the several compartment gates are turned downward, so as to close to the desired extent for the purpose had in View, all of thecompartments of the cabinet. Normally, not one of the gates 5 is locked against movement into' an open position, and any one or several thereof may be simultaneously mot ed from a closed into an open position shown in Fig. 4. The said gates cannot, however, be moved successively from closed into open position without first returning to normal or closed positions the previously opened gate or gates. The reason for this is as follows: WVhen a gate, or two or more thereof, are simultaneously moved from closed into open position shown in Fig. 4, the cam lug 8 first engages the cam fiang'eflfi of the common lock bar 11 and forces the lock flange 12 of the said bar downward into the notches 9 of all of the gates that remain in their closed positions. As the opened gate is moved farther toward its extreme open position, its cam lug 7 engages the cam flange 13 of the lock bar 11 and. further forces the lock flange 12 downward into the lock notches?) of the said gates 5 which remain in clnseiti positions. This iltli positively locks in closed positions ell of the gates which are left in closed positions when one or more gate is moved into an open position. Note iorinstz nce 5, wherein one gate 5 is shown by full lines as moved into an extreme open position and the lock flange 12 of the lock bar 11 is shown as forced downward into the lock groove or notch 9 of all of the gates remeiningin closed which remain in closed positions are indicated by dottedlines, audit will be noted that if any attempt he made-to move one of these look gates into an open position, its lug 7 will engage against the lock flange 12 of the lock bar 11 and thus positively prevent opening of the said locked gate. Whenever the open gate or gates are returned to normal positions, their notches J are again elined with the lock flange 12 of the lock bar 11 and then all of the gates'li are ageinitree to be moved into an open position. p

The phonogrephic. record disks y are positions. In the said view, Fig. 5, the gates placed in heavy rectangular or square en velops 15, preferably made of heavy stilt" paper and opening at their front edges. One or more of these records y may be placed in each envelop, but usually only one record will he placed in each envelop. At its lower front edge, each envelop 15 is provided with a projection 16 by means of which it may be pulled out of the comps? ment and on which index numerals or marks may be placed. Furthermore, each envelop is provided with a front notch 17 and a rear notch 18, for an important purpose which will presently appear. When the disk y isin the envelop, its lower portion fits the gap formed by the rear notch 18.

"Working inn suitable recess in the bottom of the case 1 is e so-celled latch bar 19 intermediately pivoted to thesaid cese'bottom at 20, end yieldinglyheld'by gravity or otherwise, in a. normal position shown in Fig. 6. In this normal'position, the said front edge of the said latch bar projects up ward into the front notches 17 of all of those envelops 15 which srein their normal positions shown in Figs. 2 and 6. All of so the partitions 4 are provided with notches \21 (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8) so that they do. not interfere with the operative movements of the said latch plate. Preferably, the several compartments of the case ere provided with upper and lower guide channels 22 snd23 for the several envelope contained. therein. Also, the. rear vertical edges of the envelope are preferably reinforced by a rib or strip 24, the upper and lower ends of which project. The lower end of the said rib works as s wear- Ling lug on the corresponding lower guide channel 23 end the projecting upper end or" the said rib is arranged to engage with u stop lug 25 secured on the suhtop S and nosesse prevent the envelop from heine drawn outward further than to the Fig. 4:. The manner in w ich the compartment gates 5 and coiipersting lock devices operate has already been stated. that one of the gates 5 is moved into-an open position, it is then possible to draw on shown in Fig. l. We will assume, however, that but one envelop is drawn forward into the position shown in Fig. 4, and that the disk which is normally contained therein has been removed. The removal or the disk from the envelop drawn forward, as stated,

osition shown in;

one envelop 15 or to simultaneously draw" several thereof forward into the position permits the front edge of the hitch plate19 to move upward into the lock notch 18 in the said forwardly-drawn envelop, so as to thereby lock the said envelop so that it cannot be pushed backward to normzilfposit-ion. Any desired number of envelope contained in the openedcompertment may, in succession, or otherwise, he drawn forward, and the disks thereof removed from the-envelope, and all of these forwardly drawn envelops will be located in a s1- tion shown in Fig. 4, by the latch plate 19. By thus locking the envelope in their for wardl'y drawn positions, unintentional retumof the envelops to. their normal positions without their respective disks, is prevented. When it is desired to return one of the envelope to its normal position, the disk is placed therein and theldislr thus placed in the envelop, presses downward at the forward edge of the latch plate 119 and thus releases the latter and, permitsfthe ento normal povelop to be freely returned sition.

Sometimes it may be desirable to return the empty envelope to their-normal positions and to close the doors of the case. This may be accomplished without returning the disks to the respective compartments, simply by drawing one envelop from its normal position about half way forward toward the position shown in Fig. 4, and this will cause the lower edge of the envelop to press the front edge of the latch bar 19 downward and release the same.

Also, an envelop containing the disk may be pulled forward to the position shown in Fig. 4' to\thereby release the said latch bar and then all of the "forwardlydrawn envelops may be simultaneously forced backward to their normsl position.

The modified form of the multi-compartment cabinet shown in. Fig. 7, while capable of difi'erent'uses, is'especially designed for the filing of letters and similar articles and provides a gate that entirely closes the compartment. In this construction, the case 1, which is very similar to the case 1, is provided in a similar manner with hinged front doors 2, but instead rt being provided with spring 37. or other suitable means.

masses a subtop, it is provided with vertically spaced sub-base or horizontal partitions 26. In this construction, the so-called compartment gates 27 are in the form of long bars provided at their lower ends with book portions 28 that are pivotally engaged to a transverse pivot rod 29, rigidly secured at its ends to the sides of the case 1". The hooked ends 28 are also formed with lock lugs 30 and releasing notches 31. At their upper ends, the gates 27 are formed with rounded lugs or heads 82 that are adapted to engage a latch flange 33 of a transverse bar 34 rigidly secured to the top of the case 1. g

Intermediately pivoted to the case 1 at 35 is a lock bar 36, the rear or inner edge of which is yieldingly pressed upward by a Normally, the lock bar 36 is held in the position indicated by full lines in Fig. 7, so that any one of the gates 27, or several thereof at the same time, may be moved pivotally downward (assuming that the doors 2 am open), untilthey reach horizontal positions and thenthey may be slid endwise into the compartments formed between the upper and lowerpartitions 26. Vl hen one or more of the said gates 27 is moved pivotally downward and forced inward, as shown by dotted,

lines in Fig. 7, itengages the inner edge of the lock bar 36 and forces the front edge thereof upward into thelock notches 81 of all of those gates 27, that are left in their normal or closed positions, hence, with this arrangement, no one or more of the gates 27 may be opened while one or more thereof is in an opened position shown by dotted lines in said Fig. 7 Y

It may be sometimes desirable to lock all of the gates 27 in their normal or closed positions, and for this purpose 1 have shown a so-called secondary lock bar 88 having end lugs pivoted at 39 to the sides of the case 1.

"The transverse portion of this look bar 38 when turned downward engages kn bs 40 'on the free ends of all of the gates 27 and holds the same in their normal positions.

light spring 41 (see 8) tends to hold the secondary lock bar 38 in a retracted position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8. To hold the said lock bar in an operative position shown by full lines in Figs. 7 and 8, I have provided a lock arm 42 that isengage-able with a shoulder 43 of one of the end lugs of the said lock bar 28. The lock arm 42 is provided with a stem 44 that affords a pivot therefor and the end of which is made square or angular, so that it is adapted to be engaged and operated by a key 4'25 having a square or angular socket. The key to is removable, and without the key it is not aneasy matter to move the lock arm 42.

lvlulti-conrpartment cases and cabinets of the character above described are capable of a very large number of dillerent uses, not

demonstrated in actual practice, the cabinet is highly cflicient as a means for filing and.

keeping track of phonograph records and other articles which are very liable to be mixed and misplaced, where there is no check or no means for preventing the same from being taken from and replaced in the cabinet.

In the specification and in the claims, the term gate is used in abroad sense to include any kind of a closure or stop device fora cabinet: and the term envelop is also. used in a broad senseto include any kind of a casing or holder insertible into a compartment adapted to contain a disk or other article.

What I claim is: v

l. A cabinet having a plurality of independent movablc gates normally free for open movements and a common pivoted lock bar operative when one of the gates is moved into an open position to lock all of the other gates in closed position.

2. A mu]ti-compartment cabinet having gates for its several compartments, said gates having releasing notches and lock levers, and a yieldingly held common lock bar having a lock flange for cotiperation with the lock lugs of said gates, the said lock bar normally releasing said gates, and the lock lugs of a moved gate being operative on said lock bar to force the same into a position in which its lock flange will look all of the gates remaining in normal position.'

3. A multi-compartment cabinet having pivoted endwise movable gates for its'several compartments, and a common lock bar normally in position to release all ofsaid gates, but arranged to be moved into an operative position by pivotal and endwise movement of one or more of said gates and serving in its operative position to-lock all of the gates left in normal position.

4. In a multi-compart-ment cabinet, the combination with gates for the several compartments, of means for looking all of the gates in their normal oi-closed position, comprising a pivoted lock bar and apivoted lock arm engageable with the shoulder of the latter to hold the same in operative position.

5. A mu]ti-compartment cabinet.- having a pivot rod extended in the vicinity of one extremity of the open ends of the compartments thereof, of gates for the several com partments mounted to pivot on and to slide inrespect to said pivot rod and having at their pivotal end releasing notches and lock lugs, and .a common pivoted lock bar normally releasing all of the gates, the movement of one or more gates into an open position serving to move said lock bar into an operative position in which it enters the re leasing notches and is engageable with the lock lugsof gates remaining in closed posi' tion, thereby locking the latter.

6. In a multi-compartment cabinet, the combination with gates for the several compartments, which gates are normally free for movements into open positions, of a gate locking mechanism operated by an open gate, or gates, to lock the other gates in theirclosed positions.

7 In a multi-compartment cabinet, the combination with gates for the several compartments and envelope in said compartments, of a lock mechanism operative when one or more gates 2116 open, to lock the other gates in closed positions, and the said envelope, when partly withdrawn, serving to prevent the corresponding gate from being returned to aclosed position, and latch devices engaging with the envelops to prevent the return movements of empty en- I velops and which latch devices are arranged to he release: by

;ticles placed in said envelops.

- combination noeaeee 8. In a multi-compartment cabinet, the with independent amovahle gates for the several compartments and a plurality of envelope for each compartment,

said gates being normally free for opening movements, of lock mechanism operative when one or more gates are open to lock the other gates in closed positions, the said envelope, when partly withdrawn, serving to prevent the corresponding gate from being returned to a closed position, and a latch device operative to hold empty envelope from return movements after they have. been drawn outward in said compartment, but

which latch is released by an article contained in a partly withdrawn envelop, whereby, when an article is entirely removed from an envelop partly withdrawn from one compartment, such envelop may he released by drawing outward from the same compartment a second envelop having an article contained therein.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE eoeenvs.

Witnesses HARRY D. Kmeonn, F. D. Mnncrran'r. 

